Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and
morbidity. Stroke affects the entire family and not just the patient itself.
Residual disability after stroke can be significant and can cripple the
affected person very badly. Here are 10 interesting facts about stroke.

1. Mortality:

Stroke is the third most common cause of death, after cancer
and ischemic heart disease.

2. Disability:

It is also the most prominent cause of disability.

3. Incidence:

Stroke has a yearly incidence of 180-300 per 100,000.

4. Lifestyle:

Its incidence is accelerating in developing countries due to
unhealthy lifestyles.

5. Age:

2/3 of stroke victims are above 60 years old.

6. Outcome:

1/5 of the victims die within a month of its occurrence.
Half the survivors become physically disabled.

7. Paralysis:

A damage in the left side of the brain may result in
paralysis of the right side of the body; a damage on the right side, paralyzes
the left side.

8. Hypertension:

Hypertension accounts for 30-50% of stroke risk.

9. Diabetes Mellitus:

Patients with diabetes mellitus are 2-3 times more
predisposed to stroke.

10. Cause:

Stroke can occur due to a disruption in blood supply or due
to a blood vessel damage.

Stroke Prevention Strategies:

1. Diabetes and High Blood Pressure:

Diabetes and high blood pressure dramatically increase the
risk of a silent stroke, which in turn can increase the risk for having a
regular stroke. Thats why people with high blood pressure and diabetes need to
control these chronic conditions to reduce their future stroke risk.

2. Fruits, Vegetables Protect Against Stroke:

Eating fruits and green or yellow vegetables daily may
protect against stroke. Almost-daily consumption of green and yellow vegetables
reduces the risk for death from stroke by 26 percent in both men and women,
compared with those who eat no vegetables more than once a week.

3. Potassium and Stroke:

Eating foods that contain potassium could reduce your risk
for stroke. One study in the journal Stroke found that people who consumed
fewer than 2,300 mg of potassium per day had a 50 percent higher stroke risk
than those who consumed more than 4,100 mg. Good sources of potassium include
baked potatoes with skin, plain yogurt, cantaloupes and honeydew melons,
halibut and tuna steaks, grapefruit, orange or prune juice, bananas and
molasses.

4. Smoking Boosts Stroke Risk:

Men who smoke increase their risk for bleeding stroke every
time they light up, says the American Stroke Association. An 18-year study of
more than 20,000 men found that those who smoke more than a pack of cigarettes
a day double their stroke risk compared with people who have never smoked or
those who’ve kicked their habits.

5. Stress and Stroke Risk:

People who say they are highly stressed have double the risk
for fatal stroke as people who say they are stress-free, according to the
American Stroke Association. Researchers believe this may be the case because
stressed people tend to have more cardiovascular risk factors, including
smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, higher alcohol consumption and high blood
pressure.